Federal Reserve System – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Board of Governors (Board) is amending the routing number guide to next-day availability checks and local checks in Regulation CC to delete the reference to the head office of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and to reassign the Federal Reserve routing symbols currently listed under that office to the head office of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. These amendments reflect the restructuring of check-processing operations within the Federal Reserve System.

Background. On June 15, 1984, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) delegated to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board) its approval authority under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), as per 5 CFR 1320.16, to approve of and assign OMB control numbers to collection of information requests and requirements conducted or sponsored by the Board under conditions set forth in 5 CFR Part 1320 Appendix A.1. Board-approved collections of information are incorporated into the official OMB inventory of currently approved collections of information. Copies of the Paperwork Reduction Act Submission, supporting statements and approved collection of information instruments are placed into OMB's public docket files. The Federal Reserve may not conduct or sponsor, and the respondent is not required to respond to, an information collection that has been extended, revised, or implemented on or after October 1, 1995, unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

The OCC, Board, FDIC, OTS, NCUA, and FTC (Agencies) request comment to gather information that would assist the Agencies in considering the development of a possible proposed addition to the furnisher accuracy and integrity guidelines that were issued in today's Federal Register. Those guidelines, along with the accompanying regulations, implement the accuracy and integrity provisions in section 312 of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (FACT Act) that amended section 623 of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). This advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) seeks to obtain information that would assist the Agencies in determining whether it would be appropriate to propose an addition to one of the guidelines that would delineate the circumstances under which a furnisher would be expected to provide an account opening date to a consumer reporting agency to promote the integrity of the information. In addition, the Agencies request comment more broadly on whether furnishers should be expected to provide any other types of information to a consumer reporting agency in order to promote integrity.

To support and facilitate the timely implementation and acceptance of the Making Home Affordable Program (Program) announced by the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) and to promote the stability of banks, savings associations, bank holding companies (collectively, banking organizations) and the financial system, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and the Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) (collectively, the agencies) have adopted this interim final rule (interim final rule or rule). The rule provides that mortgage loans modified under the Program will retain the risk weight assigned to the loan prior to the modification, so long as the loan continues to meet other applicable prudential criteria.

The OCC, the Board, the FDIC, and the OTS (collectively, ``the Agencies'') are issuing this notice of proposed rulemaking that would revise our rules implementing the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). The proposed rule would incorporate into our rules recently adopted statutory language that requires the Agencies, when assessing an institution's record of meeting community credit needs, to consider, as a factor, low-cost education loans provided by the financial institution to low-income borrowers. The proposal also would incorporate into our rules statutory language that allows the Agencies, when assessing an institution's record, to consider as a factor capital investment, loan participation, and other ventures undertaken by nonminority-owned and nonwomen-owned financial institutions in cooperation with minority- and women-owned financial institutions and low-income credit unions.

The Board is inviting the public to nominate qualified individuals for appointment to its Consumer Advisory Council, whose membership represents interests of consumers, communities, and the financial services industry. New members will be selected for three- year terms that begin in January 2010. The Board expects to announce the selection of new members in early January.

The OCC, Board, FDIC, OTS, FCA, and NCUA (collectively, the Agencies) are proposing amendments to their rules to implement the Secure and Fair Enforcement for Mortgage Licensing Act (the S.A.F.E. Act). The S.A.F.E. Act requires an employee of a bank, savings association, credit union or other depository institution and their subsidiaries regulated by a Federal banking agency or an employee of an institution regulated by the FCA (collectively, Agency-regulated institutions) who acts as a residential mortgage loan originator to register with the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry (Registry), obtain a unique identifier, and maintain this registration. This proposal implements these requirements. It also provides that Agency-regulated institutions must require their employees who act as residential mortgage loan originators to comply with the S.A.F.E. Act's requirements to register and obtain a unique identifier and must adopt and follow written policies and procedures designed to assure compliance with these requirements.